Russia: Introduced Bill banning advertising on information resources whose activities are recognised as undesirable and platforms banned (Bill No. 652920-8)

On 21 June 2024, the Bill banning advertising on information resources whose activities are recognised as undesirable and platforms banned (Bill No. 652920-8) was introduced to the State Duma. In particular, the Bill would prohibit advertising on platforms of organisations that the court declared extremist. Furthermore, advertising is not allowed on the resources of any foreign or international non-governmental organisation whose activities are deemed undesirable in Russia under Federal Law No. 272-FZ, or any organisation banned under Federal Laws No. 114-FZ or No. 35-FZ, which include measures countering extremist activities and terrorism. Additionally, this restriction applies to other information resources whose access is limited by Russian legislation related to information technology and protection. As the justification for the Bill’s introduction, it was noted that platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, which, despite being banned, still attract a significant number of Russian users who access them via VPNs. The Bill intends to eliminate the revenue streams from Russian advertisers to these platforms, which are accused of allegedly using their income to support and distribute extremist content.